Encore
by jackwabbit
Summary: Sometimes things go better the second time around. Threads Episode Tag. Minor Spoiler for Shades of Grey. Jack Daniel Friendship.


**Encore**

Rated: PG (minor language)

Category: Angst, Daniel/Jack Friendship, Sam/Jack UST

Season: Eight

Spoilers: Threads, minor implied one for Shades of Grey

Summary: Daniel Deals With The Events of Threads and Jack's Response to Them

---

Daniel remembered it all this time. Probably because he hadn't actually ascended.

He wished he didn't. Not because it was nice to have huge chunks of time missing from your head, or because it had been all that traumatic, but so that he wouldn't have had to endure days of briefings, debriefings, and inquiries. God, what a pain in the ass.

Jack wasn't Hammond, that much was certain, but he still had a job to do, and he still had to answer to those above him. So, meetings and conferences and paperwork assaulted Daniel from O'Neill's office like so much confetti. It took days to sort out the situation with the Jaffa, Dakara, the events at the SGC, and the end of the replicators.

Daniel had heard about Jacob shortly after he returned, but it didn't really sink in until after all the hoopla was over. It took a few days for him to realize that not only had Sam lost her father, he had lost a friend. All of SG-1 seemed a little more subdued lately, and Daniel knew everyone would miss Jacob and would grieve for him in their own way.

As always, though, Daniel worried about Jack. Jack didn't do well with grief, despite his hardened exterior. For that matter, Jack didn't do too well with feelings, period, and he was still under a lot of stress from his promotion. It didn't suit him. Daniel supposed it had been inevitable that Jack would have to take a desk job at some point just because of his health, which while great for his age and mileage, still bore the scars of a life less ordinary. A body couldn't hold up to the tortures of military field work forever. However, Daniel could see how hard it was on Jack every time he sent a team through the gate. His body twitched and longed to be out there, too, while his mind tormented itself with 'what if' scenarios. He was eaten alive with worry whenever teams were off world. Jack had aged more in the last year than the previous eight Daniel had known him. The constant paperwork, the bureaucratic nonsense-Jack just couldn't take it. He wasn't cut out for it, and it was slowly killing him. At least it seemed that way to Daniel.

So, the distance and coldness he felt from Jack now troubled him. The last time Daniel had pulled a Lazarus act, Jack had popped his head into his lab every twenty minutes, as if making sure he was still there. He threw sarcasm and jokes at Daniel constantly. They went to lunch nearly every day for two weeks. Truth be told, it was pretty annoying.

But this, this was worse. Jack hadn't looked in on Daniel in any way, other than official briefings and such, since his return. In meetings, Jack was distracted and edgy. Something wasn't right. Daniel couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was wrong with his friend, and it made the archeologist very nervous. This was more than a bad day or two. Daniel decided to try to help.

After yet another briefing, the final one for the day, Daniel took his chance. After everyone else cleared out, while Jack was collecting his things, he reached out one tentative word.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, Daniel?"

"You ok?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You seem a little distracted, that's all."

"Just busy, Daniel. I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

With that, Jack turned and left, leaving Daniel mystified and even more concerned. As he stared hard at Jack's retreating back, Daniel was a little hurt that, once again, Jack wouldn't let him in, but the sagging shoulders of his friend put worry higher than personal feelings now.

Why did Jack look like a man defeated? Anubis was dead, the Jaffa were free, and at the moment things were looking pretty good at the SGC. It didn't make sense. Something else was going on, but Daniel knew that Jack wouldn't let him help until he was ready, so he had no choice but to let it go.

He headed home for the night, praying that Jack wouldn't do anything stupid.

XXX

It wasn't until two days later that Daniel had a chance to really catch up with Sam. He dropped by her lab to check in on her. She seemed to be taking her father's death pretty well, but it was still a hard thing to deal with, and he wanted to be there for her.

Apparently he picked a good time to come by, as when his head appeared in the door, Sam was sitting at her lab bench just staring into space. She didn't even notice the intrusion.

"Sam?"

A slight jump betrayed her surprise, but it was covered quickly. "Daniel! Hey! How ya feeling?"

"Funny, I was coming to ask you the same thing. How you holding up?"

A shrug. "Well, you know. You do the best you can. I'll be ok, really."

"Yes, you will, but if you need anything…just let me know, ok?"

"Thanks, Daniel. To be honest, though, I really don't want to talk about Dad right now."

"No problem. So, how's Pete?"

Daniel's attempt to change the subject and just catch up backfired dramatically. Sam froze for half a second, then looked away uncomfortably. Her next words said much more than just their meaning.

"We broke up."

Now it was Daniel's turn to freeze.

"Oh." It was all he could say.

Sam's eyes snapped up to his at the sound of his voice, and four blue eyes spoke volumes in mere seconds. Daniel knew there was much more going on here than a simple break-up, and the nebulous thoughts of what could be wrong with Jack suddenly came into crystal clear focus.

"Oh," he said again. Nothing else would come to him.

Sam snorted a little laugh. "It's ok, really. It's for the best. I'm ok. It sure has been a hell of a week, though."

"No doubt." Daniel was only just now recovering his ability to speak, his mind racing with the new information he now had. 'Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry,' he thought. 'God, I know it's hard for you, but you need to do something about this-I don't know what, but something. At least be here for her…something.'

Daniel slowly realized Sam was still talking. He had been so lost in thought he missed the words at first, but suddenly Sam was letting it all out. Daniel just sat and let her go, listening. He learned about Kerry and the awkward way Sam had found out about her. He learned about Jacob's impressions of Pete and his strange advice on his deathbed. He listened intently while Sam told of Jack's refusal to accept Daniel's probable death. He didn't say a word as Sam told of Jack's tenderness in the final moments with her father. Daniel knew Sam hadn't meant to let that out, but the words were just tumbling out now. It was a release she needed, and he was going to let her have it. No judgment, and no consequences. This was a debriefing just as necessary as the others, but one that was private.

When she was finished, Daniel put a hand on her arm.

"It really has been quite a week. I'm sorry, Sam."

Sam blinked and looked at him almost like she had forgotten he was there. "Oh, shit, Daniel, I'm sorry, too…I didn't mean to lay all that on you like that. You have your own issues to deal with, after all."

"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Tell you what. I'm starving. Let's go get some lunch. Sound ok?"

"Sure. Thanks again. It means a lot. I guess I just needed to vent."

"Ya think?" A shadow crossed Sam's face as the words of Jack O'Neill left Daniel's mouth without thought, but it quickly fled and she stood, confident and secure once more.

"I do. Let's go."

With that, the two friends headed to the commissary for lunch, but neither one had a peaceful mind. Both were thinking of a certain General, and the royal mess he was in this time.

XXX

The rest of the day passed in relative quiet for Daniel, with only routine tasks needing done, but he couldn't help but think about Jack. He was still worried. He'd been privy to enough of the odd little tale of Jack and Sam through the years to know that both of them would be hurting now. He also knew that Jack wouldn't let it all out, like Sam had. Jack would shut down and shut everyone out. Try to deal with it all on his own. Try to put distance between himself and whoever it was who had gotten in close enough to hurt him. And over time, it might work. He might forget about it, package it up and put it in that little, cold space in his heart where he kept Charlie and everything else he'd rather not think about. But in the meantime, he would ache and throb with personal pain. He would hurt everyone who cared about him by making them watch helplessly while he self-destructed for a while. That was unacceptable to Daniel. And there was always the chance that it might not work, and Daniel couldn't bear the thought of that. The thought of the emotionally dead Jack that he had first met coming back to stay. The one where the cold space overwhelmed the rest of him. He didn't think this would get that bad, but he couldn't take the chance.

So, when he left the base, he made a detour on his way home. When he saw Jack's truck in the driveway, he took another down to the corner store and picked up two six packs of Jack's favorite beer. The truck was still there, thankfully, when he returned, so he pulled into the drive.

Daniel had only done this a handful of times in his long friendship with Jack, and most of the time it hadn't gone too well, but he felt he had to take the chance. His friend was hurting, and that was enough for him to risk some possible hurt feelings of his own. At least if Jack attacked him, he would be letting out some of the anger and frustration he was no doubt feeling now, and that would help everyone. Daniel could take one for the team.

So, after a moment's hesitation, Daniel opened his car door and walked the few steps to the door of Jack's house. He knocked, more boldness in the sound than in his heart, and waited.

It seemed forever until the knob turned and scuffling sounds came from inside the house.

"Hang on a minute." Jack's voice came through the door gruffly.

And then he was there. The door was open, and Jack looked at Daniel in surprise. He blinked a few times, noticed the beer, and looked around suspiciously, like he couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Daniel. What's up?"

"Hey, Jack. I was just in the neighborhood, and I saw your truck and, well, I thought I'd come by and see if you wanted to share a beer or two."

"Um…well…I guess…hey! You don't really like beer."

Busted. "Yeah, well, ya see…that type of thing can change and…it's not like I dislike it…just…"

Daniel suddenly looked up from where he had been studiously examining the ground and caught Jack's eyes looking at him. He wasn't buying it. Time to come clean. Hopefully it would work.

"Alright._Fine_. I came by to check on you. I know about Kerry. And Sam. And Pete. And Jacob. I thought you might want some company. That you might want to talk."

The life seemed to flee from Jack O'Neill's body like a popped balloon. He deflated. A small snort escaped his chest and he looked like he was about to close the door, but all he did was mumble a small "Oh, that".

Daniel felt the first flames of anger building in his gut at his friend's stubbornness. His mind screamed at the older man. 'Come on, Jack, let me in. Stop being such a stubborn bastard! You can't handle everything on your own. Let me help you. Did it every occur to you that I might want company tonight, too? That the world isn't all about you?' He took a deep breath to settle down and addressed Jack as calmly as he could. "Yeah, _that_. Look, Jack, I know you're in a difficult position and all, and I'm sorry…I really am…but…I don't know…I just thought you might want…I don't know…beer?"

Daniel held up the six packs tentatively and looked at his friend hopefully.

Jack couldn't help but smile a little at the childish look on his friend's face. He waved a little and stepped back slightly to allow Daniel entrance to the house.

"Come on in, Daniel. I'll share."

Daniel looked at Jack skeptically, involuntarily remembering another time when he'd been kicked in the gut for caring, and tested the waters the only way he knew how.

"What, the beer?"

A shadow crossed Jack's face and he seemed to be mulling something over. His mouth moved like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out at first. His eyes were unreadable-some strange blend of pain, loneliness, and nervous fear was mixed with what could only be described as a type of longing. He looked like an abused puppy, who wants so badly to allow companionship but is afraid of what might happen if he does. When his voice finally came, slightly rough and broken, the words that it delivered shocked Daniel to his core.

"And the feelings."

Something broke loose inside of Daniel in that instant, and without any thought, he set the beer down, stepped through the doorway, and enfolded Jack in a tight embrace. To his surprise, Jack didn't resist. After a second of complete immobility, Jack returned the hug, holding on tight.

In a moment where walls erected over the years gave way and fell, where the barriers that kept them miles apart most of the time became mere tissue paper, the two men held each other, reveling in the bond of shared experience. Innumerable heartbeats later, both men relaxed their grips and put a little distance between themselves again, but as if by some mutual agreement, they did not completely let go. The taller general's arm stayed draped over his friend's shoulders, and an arm encircled his waist in return. The beer was retrieved, the door was kicked shut, and two brothers headed in the same direction yet again, drawing comfort and strength from one another, and facing the world together once more.


End file.
